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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. spring — the season
  3. spring — a coil
  4. race — a contest
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. race — the arms race
  7. spring — of water
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. dip — to sink
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. key — for a lock
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. key — in music
  17. craft — boats
  18. race — humankind
  19. bulb — for light
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bulb — for light
  23. craft — a skill
  24. face — part of the head

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com